A Night in Fairfax: Tony Jeter Shocks “Contender” Jimmy Lange

By Alec Kohut

The ring corners and souvenir plastic beer cups served as advertising for the next big Jimmy Lange boxing show at George Mason University’s Patriot Center on March 9th, 2013. After a rumored bout with WBC junior middleweight champ Austin Trout fell through, the former NBC “The Contender” series star settled on a fight with Baltimore club fighter Tony “Mo’ Better” Jeter, 15-3-1 (10). With the March date already set and the fact that Jeter had been stopped last December by journeyman opponent Jose Felix, this would be little more than a tune-up for the experienced Lange.

That prognostication looked safe in the second round when after winning round one, Jeter was dropped to a knee by a solid Lange overhand right. Jeter proceeded to hit Lange with an intentional headbutt during a clinch and was deducted two points for low blows, making it effectively a 10-6 round for Lange, 38-5-2 (25).

Then for eight rounds, the scrappy club fighter from Baltimore completely dominated Lange. Jeter outmuscled, outpunched and outfouled Lange en route to a split decision victory despite suffering the knockdown and four points deducted for fouls, casting doubt on Lange’s future in the sport.

Jeter recovered in round three and pressured Lange relentlessly, keeping the action at close quarters, looking to keep Lange against the ropes and risking disqualification. Jeter continued to work the body and forced referee Steve Smoger to deduct another point for low blows. Round four was a brawl. Jeter continued his pressure and stayed the busier fighter, keeping Lange’s back on the strings. Lange briefly took the upper hand in the round, pivoting to Jeter’s side and landing two hard rights that slightly stunned Jeter but failed to slow his assault. At the end of the round, Lange was bleeding from above his left eye.

Jeter continued his strategy of keeping Lange against the ropes and Lange was inexplicably cooperating by making little effort to keep the fighting in the center of the ring. Smoger issued a stern warning to Jeter for his continued low blows and rough tactics. In both rounds six and seven, Lange began the rounds trying to keep the fight off the ropes but Jeter quickly muscled him to the ropes while landing solid right hands.

By round eight, Lange was summoning whatever he had left and was able land a combination on Jeter but the punches lacked any starch and Jeter was quickly back on the offensive, even measuring Lange with his left before landing a hard, straight right. Smoger took another point from Jeter, bringing the total to four points deducted for the fight. Despite the difference of just under four months in age, Jeter looked excited, confident and young; Lange looked tired and old.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the forehead, well above the left eye, of Lange that caused Smoger to halt the action for a doctor’s examination for the second time in the bout. The fight continued and Jeter again pinned Lange to the ropes and was sensing the upset victory. Round 10 continued in the same vein until the final bell and the very anxious moments until the cards were read. Although there was little doubt that Jeter was the better fighter that night, having lost five points due to fouls and the knockdown made it anyone’s fight.

The cards were read: 94-91, Lange, 94-91, Jeter and finally, 93-92, Jeter. Jeter won on all three cards, notwithstanding the point deductions, by margins in rounds of 6-4, 8-2 and 9-1. Maxboxing scored the bout nine rounds to one for a score of 94-91 after points taken.

An ecstatic Jeter, in the ring immediately following the fight, told Maxboxing, “I told you I was coming to win. Did I lie?” Jeter added, “I’ve matured late; I took eight [nonconsecutive] years off boxing. I have a lot left.”

Johnny Lange, manager and father of Jimmy, attended the press conference in his son’s absence, stating he felt they were robbed and wanted to see the scorecards, incredulous to the fact that Jeter won despite being docked five points during the contest.

Harry Joe Yorgey TKO 1 Zain Shah

Zain Shah is a tall junior middleweight who has shown some skills since his return to the ring in 2010 at age 35. And Harry Joe Yorgey has looked very average since his devastating knockout loss at the hands of Alfredo Angulo in November of 2009. So some of us, including this writer, fooled ourselves into believing this might be a competitive fight between and 24-1-1 veteran and a 5-0-0 prospect. It wasn’t. Shah was nowhere close to ready to face a true veteran as Yorgey stopped the Virginia native at 2:48 of the first round.

After a disputed low blow by Yorgey, the Bridgeport, PA native caught Shah with a counter left that dropped him and signaled to all watching that the end was likely near. It was. Yorgey kept up the pressure and hurt Shah again with a left hook, forcing the stoppage with no disagreement from Shah or his corner.

Debuts for Two Top D.C. Amateurs

After extremely successful amateur careers, light heavyweight Jerry Odom and middleweight Antoine Douglas each scored first round victories in their professional debuts.

Odom faced an ill-equipped Darryl Fields of Akron, Ohio, who, also making his debut, had little business whatsoever being in a professional boxing ring. The fight was wisely stopped at 1:11 of round one.

Douglas faced a more game but severely overmatched Valdez Eason, 0-7 (now knocked out seven times), of Cincinnati, Ohio. Eason tried to trade with Douglas but Douglas easily handled him, ending the action 1:30 into the fight with a shot to the body.

David Warren Huffman TKO 1 Joseph Rector

Milwaukee’s David Warren Huffman became a regular in the D.C. boxing scene in 2012, fighting four times in the area and going 2-2 against D.C. area prospects, after starting his career at 0-6. His victim this trip was Joseph Rector, 1-1 (1) of Reston, VA. Huffman staggered Rector with a jab and right hand that sent him reeling to the ropes. Huffman then connected with a vicious right hand causing referee Gene Del Biianco to step in and declare him the victor.

Brandon Quarles Maj. Draw 6 John Mackey

Local middleweight prospect Brandon Quarles barely escaped with a draw against 13-8-4 (6) veteran John Mackey. Quarles overcame a first round knockdown to even the scores on two judges’ cards with a knockdown of his own with just 10 seconds remaining in the fight.

After suffering the knockdown, Quarles responded strong in round two landing a solid right to Mackey’s midsection and later a right to the head, giving him a much needed round. Quarles seemed be taking control of the fight in round three as he was able to back Mackey to the ropes with his jab where he connected with a right uppercut and an overhand right. He moved Mackey into a corner but was unable to do any significant damage.

Momentum shifted again at the beginning of round four when Quarles seemed to be tiring and it was Mackey’s turn to get his opponent against the ropes and land right hands of his own. Soon Quarles turned Mackey and the roles were reversed. Mackey’s back felt the ropes but Quarles still looked tired and was unable to take advantage.

Quarles’ lack of power prevented him from keeping Mackey at bay and taking full control of the fight as the older Mackey continued to press Quarles throughout a very close round five. The action remained close in round six until Quarles landed a right which apparently staggered Mackey and sent him to the canvas as he tried to hold on. However, referee Vic de Wysocki ruled it a slip. Quarles maintained pressure and eventually dropped Mackey in similar fashion with 10 seconds left in the round, this time being awarded the knockdown.

Quarles remained undefeated with the draw at 9-0-1 (2) as two judges scored it 56-56 while the third judge had it 57-55 for Mackey.

Immanuel Aleem UD 4 Mark Baltimore

Super middleweight Immanuel Aleem improved to 3-0 (2) with a unanimous decision over Maryland’s Mark Baltimore, now 1-1 (1). While Aleem appeared the more skilled of the two fighters, the fight was fought toe-to-toe with Aleem failing to take advantage of numerous opportunities available by working to get angles against his opponent. Baltimore consistently left the left side of his face unprotected yet Aleem remained right in front of him, unable to take advantage.

Andre Ward Maj. Draw 4 Mario Flores

In an exciting, hard-fought battle of cruiserweights, locals Andre Ward and Mario Flores fought to a majority draw. Flores, 1-1-1 (1), returning to the ring after an 18-month layoff and fighting under 200 pounds for the first time as a pro, effectively neutralized Ward’s height advantage by not allowing the taller fighter to keep the fight at a distance. Ward, now 1-1-2 (1), remains a work in progress, still relatively new to the sport.

Damon Antoine UD 4 Shakir Ashanti

In the lead-off bout of the evening between two fighters definitely not new to the sport, Akron’s Damon Antoine, now 11-42-2 (5), outpointed Greensboro, NC’s Shakir Ashanti, who fell to 16-14 (4). It was Antoine’s third fight this month and his second win in 17 fights dating back to 2009. Despite lopsided scores of 40-35 (twice) and 40-36, this was a great, action-packed opening bout for the evening with Maxboxing scoring the bout a much closer 38-37 for Antoine. Basically a draw not considering the point taken from Ashanti in round four.